Article clip



Sept. 17, 1957 H. M. RUTH 2,806,273

ARTICLE CLIP Filed June a, 195:5.

u l j INVENTOR HAROLD M. *RUTH ATTORNEY United States Patent O ARTICLECLIP Application June 8, 1953, Serial No. 360,062 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-81)The present invention relates to a clip for fastening together in aclosed polygonal pattern articles, such as f Y cans, having a bead ontheir outer periphery.

In the marketing of canned goods, it is frequent practice to bundle aplurality of cans together in order that they may be more convenientlyhandled, stored, and displayed. For instance, bundles of four cansarranged in either a square-shaped grouping or a diamond-shaped grouping(also called a nest) are very much in demand by both retailers andcustomers since they are readily packed and unpacked, stacked, liftedand carried. It is highly desirable that such can bundles may be made upquickly and inexpensively by either machine or by hand, and that thebundles may be readily unfastened manually without the aid of a tool.Other desirable features of these can bundles are low tare weight,minimum space requirements, and exposure of the body ofthe cans to viewso that the identity of the product packed therein and its advertising,usually displayed on the can body, may be seen.

One object of the present invention is to provide a clip for fasteningtogether cans into a bundle that is possessed of all the desirablecharacteristics mentioned above.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive clip for quickly and easily fastening together in a closedpolygonal pattern a group of articles having a peripheral bead.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clip forfastening together peripherally beaded articles into a firm bundle.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the clip of the presentinvention is made.

Fig. 2 is an Velevation of an article clip formed from the blank shownin Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a reduced fragmentary plan View of a squareshaped group offour cans to which the clip shown in Fig. 2 has been applied.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 andshowing in addition a longitudinal section of a clencher for applyingthe present clip to a square-shaped group of four cans.-

Fig. 5 is a reduced perspective view of a square bundle of four cansfastened together by a pair of the present clips, the cans being shownin phantom.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken approximately along theline 6-,-6 of Fig. 3.

The present article clip 11 (Fig. 2) is ,preferably formed from a blank12 (Fig. l) of thin, still, deformable material, such ascold rolledsheet steel, and is specifically designed for fastening together into asquare bundle four cylindrical articles, such as cans 13, 14, 15 and 16(Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive) of the type in which comestibles arecommercially preserved. Each of the cans 13, 14, 15 and 16 is usuallymade of metal and comprises a hollow cylindrical body'18 and a pair ofend closures 19 (Figs. 3 and Patented Sept. 17, 1957 ICC 6), only one ofwhich is shown. The closures 19 are hermetically sealed to the can body18 by can seaming machines which fold together the adjacent edgeportions of the body and the closures, thereby forming an annular,peripheral bead 21 (Figs. 3, 4 and 6) around both end margins of thecan. Said beads 21 extend axially away from the end of the can and alsoradially outward from the can body 18, as best seen in Fig. 6, and areusually approximately elliptical in cross-section.

The clip blank 12 (Fig. l) comprises an elongated web 22 having arectangular central portion 23 from the opposite ends ofwhich extendsomewhat hourglass-shaped wing portions 24 and 25. The central portion23 of the web is provided with rectangular side flanges 27, and the wingportions 24 and 25 have concavely curved side anges 28. In addition theweb 22 has a pair of longitudinal depressions 29 spanning the portionsof the web which connect the central portion 23 with the wing portions24 and 25 to strengthen these connecting portions of the web 22 againstbending stresses. From the free end of the wing portions 24 and 25 ofthe web 22 extend tabs 31v each lateral edge of which is providedadjacent the web 22 with Va curved notch 32 that furnishes an arcuateshoulder 33 Vspaced from said web. A similar notch is provided on eachside of the blank between the central portion 23 and the wing portions24 and 25, respectively.

The clip 11 (Fig. 2) is fashioned 'from the blank 12 (Fig. l) by bendingeach of the anges 27 and 28 down along the dotted lines 34 and 36,respectively, until they -4 are at approximately right angles with theweb 22, and

by bending each of the tabs 31 in two places so that the inner portion37 of the tabs 31 is bent down from the web 22 approximately 45 degreesalong the dotted line 38 and the outer portion 39 of the tabs is bentupwardly from the inner tab portion 37 approximately 45 degrees alongthe dotted line 41. Each of the wing flanges 28 is bowed in toward thecenter of the web 22 (Figs. 3 and 5) and is shaped to conform to theinner periphery of the bead 21 on one of the cans 13, 14, 15 and 16. Theclip flanges 27 are straight and act to strengthen the center portion 23of the web against bending stresses.

The clip 11 is adapted to be applied to a square group of four laterallyadjacent cans either manually or by machine. In both cases the procedureis the same. Four cans 13, 14, 15 and 16 (Fig. 5) are arranged in aclosed square, as described above, with the adjacent beads 21 on theneighboring ends of the cans tangent to each other. The clip 11 (Fig. 2)is then placed across one end of the square group of cans so that thewing portions 24 and 25 of the web 22 rest on the beads 21 over thepoints of tangency of the cans 13 and 14, and 15 and 16, respectively(Figs. 3 and 5), with their curved flanges 28 in contact with andclosely overlying the similarly curved inner periphery of the beads 21of said cans. The tabs 31 extend generally outwardly from the group ofcans in opposite directions and the beads of the cans project into thenotches 32 and 35, respectively.

The inner portion 37 of the tabs 31 is then bent downwardly and inwardlybetween the converging body portions 18 of the lcans 13 and 14, and 15and 16 until it is substantially perpendicular with the adjacent wingportion 24 or 25, respectively. This movement of the inner tab portions37 may be accomplished manually by depressing the outer tab portions 39whereby the tabs will bend almost exclusively along the bend lines 38,38 (Fig. l) due to the reduced width of the tabs along these lines anddue to the fact that the moment of the tab depressing force at theselines is greater than at anyv be incorporated in a machine adapted toperform automatically the entire clipl applying operationy or it may beused as a hand tool to aid in the manual application of the clip. y

The clencher 4'6 comprises' a plate 47 to one side of which an actuatingmember 48, only part of which is shown, is centrally attached. Two pins49V and 51' exte'n'd' normally from' the opposite side ofthe plate 47and are so arranged thereon that the clencher may be initially placedabove the clip 22 with the pins' resting orr the inner portions 37 ofthe tabs 31. Movement of the clencher 46 from this position toward thesquare group of cans 13, 14, 15 and 16 will quickly turn down the innertab portions 37 into a position perpendicular with the web portions 24and 25, as shown in Figs. 3 and- To prevent the web 22 from bowingupwardly during the above described tab depressing operation theclencher plate 47 has a flat spring 52 (Fig. 4) secured in a downwardlyarched position to its underside. During theV tab depressing operationthe spring 52 bears against the central portion 23 of the clip web 22thereby maintaining the web wings 24 and 25 in contact with the canbeads 21. The pins 49 and 51 may also be spaced so as to contact theouter tab portions 39 whereby upon movement of the clencher 46 towardthe cans the inner portions 37 will be bent perpendicular to the web 22in the manner previously described in connection with the fully manualdepression of the tabs 31.

As the inner portion 37 ofthe tabs 31 is depressed the oppositelyarranged shoulders 33 (Figs. 1 and 6) thereonclosely follow the curvedouter periphery of the adjacent can beads 21 and when the inner tabportion 37 reaches its final position, perpendicular to the web 22, theshoulders 33 closely underlie the adjacent can beads 21. With the innertab portion 37 in this position the beads at the selected end of thesquare group ofcans 13, 14, 15 and 16 are clamped between the tabshoulders 33 andthe adjacent curved flanges 28, thereby fastening allfour cans 13, 14, 15 and 16 to the clip 11.

While the notches 32 are shown in Fig. 6 exactly fitting the can beads21, so that the clip 11 will firmly grasp the can beads and hold thefour cans rigidly together, in actual practice the beads 21` varyconsiderably in their cross-sectional dimensions and consequently thefit between the notches and the can'beads is not always as close as thatshown in Fig. 6. Nevertheless, the clip 11 will still dependably fastenthe cans 13', 14, 15 and 16 together. In fact, a certain amount oflooseness between the clip and the beadsk 21 may be desirable in manyinstances, since it allows the cans to be similarly oriented for displaypurposes after they have been fastened together.

It should be pointed out that when only one clip 11 is applied to thetop endl of a square group of four cans the entire group may be pickedup as a unit by grasping and lifting the pair of cans atA either side ofthe clip, namely, the cans 13 and 14, or the cans 15 and 16, as shown inFigs. 3 and 5. But, with only one clip 11 fastening the group of fourcans together they may not belifted as a group by picking up a pair ofcans that is bisected by the clip 11, namely, the cans 13 and 15, or thecans 14 and 16 (Figs. 3 and 5). In the latter case the lifting of eitherdesignated pair of' cans will strip the clip from the other pair ofcans; However, if another clip 11 is installed at the lbottom of thesquare group of cans so that it lies crosswise of the clip 11 applied atthe top of the group, as shown in Fig. 5,A an extremelyrigid and stablebundle is thereby attained which may be picked up by grasping. andlifting any on'e of the cans in the bundle. Such a bundle may be veryroughly liandled lwithout danger of the cans therein separating.

Since the clips 11 are easily applied either by machine or by hand' anumber of' can bundles may be made up quickly at the factory or otherdistribution points with the aid of machinery before displaying thecanned produce for retail sale, or the cans may be displayed in bulk andthe customer supplied with clips and allowed to bundle the cans if he sodesires. The clips 11 may be readily removed lfrom the group of cans 13,14, 15 and 16 without the aid of a tool by merely grasping the outer tabportions 39 (Figs. 3 and 5) and bending the tabs 31 outward, therebyremoving the shoulders 33 rfrom contact with the beads 21. The clips maythen be lifted from the can beads 21, and since said clips arerelatively inexpensive they may be discarded.

Although the embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawingsand described herein is specifically adaptedy for fastening together asquare group of four cylindrical metal cans, it is apparent that thepresent invention is equally adaptable to the joining of different sizedand shaped groups of articles which are neither cylindrical nor made ofmetal, such as square cross-sectioned, cardboard containers and thelike, so long as they are provided with a bead or similar protuberancewhich may be grasped by the clip. Naturally, the configuration of theweb, flanges and tabs of the clips to be applied to diierently shapedarticles and differently arranged groups l thereof must conform t-o thecontour and position of the beads of the various articles in the variousgroups.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of the present invention,it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madein the details thereof Without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

A clip for securing together in a closed polygonal pattern a group ofcylindrical articles having peripheral beads, comprising an elongatedbody having a channel-shaped central portion including a web portion anddowntumed flanges, similar channel-shaped wing portions spaced from saidcentral portion by extensions of said web portion at opposite endsthereof, each of said wing portions being adapted to straddle the beadson a pair of transversely adjacent articles with its web engaging thetop and its flanges engaging the inner surfaces of said beads, the endedges of the flanges on said central portion being adapted to engage the`outer surfaces of all of said beads, a transversely rigid locking tabprojecting from the free end of each of said wing portions`substantially coplanar with the web thereof and deformable to aposition substantially perpendicular to said web between said adjacentarticles, and laterally projecting shoulders on said tabs adapted to bemoved into locking contact with the under surfaces of the beads of said`adjacent articles when said tabs are ldeformed to a position betweensaid adjacent articles-to maintain said wing portions in bead-straddlingposition and to thereby retain said articles in secured relation withsaid clip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS GreatBritain July 6, 1922

